Thousands of bargain hunters bring motorway to standstill as they rush to grab half-price goods at new superstore

The televisions may have been half price at the Currys Megastore sale yesterday - but getting hold of one came at a cost.

Some of the 3,000 customers waiting outside had lined up from 8pm the night before to secure their bargain.

Others, who arrived late and tried to jump the queue, set off an hour of pushing and shoving that left several bruised and at least one man bleeding from a battered nose.

Hundreds of people queuing at the new Currys store in Wednesbury, West Midlands, at 6.40am yesterday

A pensioner fainted in the crush after queueing for five hours, and had to be taken to hospital.

In the end, police were called to sort out the chaos at the store in Wednesbury, West Midlands, and staff had to open half an hour early at 6.30am to ease tensions. The crowds caused sevenmile tailbacks on the M6.

Once inside the store, some shoppers were seen taking items from others' trolleys.

They were fighting for bargains such as a £19.99 sat nav and the bargain LCD TVs.

One shopper, Toni-Marie McGrory, 25, of nearby Willenhall, said: 'Everyone was pushing. One lady had to leave because she felt sick and I had to help a couple in their seventies who were getting crushed. It was horrendous.'

Bargain hunters: The store opened at 6.30am on police advice after they were called following reports of disorder among members of the public queuing outside

'One guy got pushed and his nose started bleeding. He just put his hand over his nose - he didn't want to leave the queue.'

The Highways Agency was forced to shut the northbound exit slip road of the M6 at Junction 9, which leads to the store, for two hours from 7.15am after motorists were stuck for up to half an hour in tailbacks to Spaghetti Junction (junction 6) in Birmingham.

There were similar hold-ups on the M5 as far back as junction 4 at Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

Some shoppers lucky enough to get inside the store were forced to go home empty-handed because a lorryload of televisions got stuck on the motorway.

Ahead of the rest: First customers including Dean Johnson, second left, and his brother Derek, third left, at the new Currys store

Store manager Jon Fisher said: 'It's absolutely crazy. I can't believe so many people have come. We are now telling people that they will get a free delivery service for anyone who has already paid for a TV which is on this lorry.'

He added that the store had liaised with police earlier in the week but never expected so many customers to turn up.

First in the queue were twins Derek and Dean Johnson, 35, both plumbers, of West Bromwich, who were delighted to get two televisions, two sat navs, a PlayStation 3 and a printer.

Others were not so lucky. One shopper said: 'A woman loaded a 40 inch TV onto her trolley, turned around to get something else and by the time she looked back it had been stolen.'

Great deals: The first customers snap up their half-price PlayStations

A Currys spokesman said: 'We handed out tea and coffee to those who'd come for the night and put up a large TV screen so people could watch the England game.

'We have been very surprised by the huge influx of people. I think, given the current economic climate, everyone is looking for a bargain at the moment.'

In 2005, nine ambulances and six fire engines were despatched to the opening of a new Ikea store in Edmonton, North London, after running battles erupted among 6,000 shoppers.

FIRST DAY SALES AT THE NEW CURRYS MEGASTORE:

Snooper satellite navigation system. Usually £199.99 selling for £19.99. Sold out, 150 were in stock

Samsung 40 inch LCD TV. Usually £549.99 selling for £274.99. Sold more than 400

Sony PlayStation 3. Usually £299.99 selling for £199.99. Sold out, 100 were in stock

Toshiba 42 inch LCD TV. Usually £614.99 selling for £299.99. Sold out, 100 were in stock